This is a browser-based recreation of the 1978 Taito Space Invaders arcade cabinet, the game that launched the golden age of arcade gaming. Designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, the original ran on custom hardware built around an Intel 8080 processor. Its marching aliens, pulsing soundtrack, and escalating tension made it one of the most influential video games ever created. It was so popular in Japan that it caused a temporary shortage of 100-yen coins.
This version is built entirely with HTML5 Canvas and JavaScript. No libraries, no frameworks, no images. Every alien, shield, and bullet is drawn in real time using simple geometric shapes, faithful to the pixel-art style of the original. The core mechanics are all here: five rows of aliens marching in formation, destructible shields that erode on impact, a mystery UFO that streaks across the top of the screen, and the classic speed-up as you whittle the invaders down to the last few survivors.